Dallas Mayor: 'White Terrorists' Are More Threatening Than Syrian Refugees

Democratic Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings says white terrorists worry him more than the 10,000 Syrian refugees who will be admitted into the U.S. The mayor’s opinion is in contrast to Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who declared his state will not be accepting any refugees.

During a Nov. 21 appearance on MSNBC, Rawlings claimed some Americans are holding Syrians to a double standard, condemning them for the actions of the Islamic State group terrorist organization.

“I am more fearful of large gatherings of white men that come into schools, theaters and shoot people up, but we don’t isolate young white men on this issue,” Rawlings told MSNBC.

Roughly 48 Americans have been killed by white supremacist and anti-government organizations since Sept. 11, 2001, which is double the number of those killed by Islamic jihadists, The Huffington Post reports.

ADVERTISEMENT

Thanks for watching!

Rawlings says Dallas would welcome Syrian refugees, arguing that turning them away would be playing into the Islamic State group’s hands.

“They [the Islamic State group] want us to say that these are bad people,” Rawlings told MSNBC. “So then the Arab world will say ‘See? They don’t like us.’ And that’s not true.”

Rawlings cautions that constantly linking the word “Muslim” with “terrorist” sets a dangerous and unfair precedent.

ADVERTISEMENT

Thanks for watching!

ADVERTISEMENT

Thanks for watching!

“[Islamic State group] is no more Islamic than the Nazi senior staff was Christian, and we have got to differentiate between those,” Rawlings said.

Rawlings’ attitude towards the Syrian refugees defies the official position from Abbott, who announced on Nov. 16 that Texas would bar any from entering. Abbott is among several U.S. governors who have stated their states will not accept refugees, even though they do not have the authority to do so, The Huffington Post reports.

In a letter to President Barack Obama, Abbott wrote that the Syrian refugees pose a threat to his constituents, the Austin-American Statesman reports.

“As governor of Texas, I will not roll the dice or take the risk of allowing a few refugees in simply to expose Texans to danger,” Abbott wrote.

While Rawlings disagrees with the governor, he emphasizes they both want what’s best for the people of Dallas.

“We want to get rid of [Islamic State group],” Rawlings said in his MSNBC interview. “We all agree on that. [Islamic State group] wants us to be divided on this issue. [Islamic State group] wants us to demonize these refugees, wants us to alienate these children.”

The city of Dallas has been witness to one of the most infamous acts of terror on U.S. soil, when Louisiana native Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963.